Electric grill with food divider

ABSTRACT

An electric grill comprised of a primary cooking unit that includes a ribbed grilling surface adjacent to a planar cooking surface with a containment wall around the unit and an adjustable food divider that is used to keep unwanted liquids such as fat and water separate from other foods. One side of the ribbed grilling surface is elevated above the planar cooking surface and includes channels between the ribs that direct grilling liquids into a flat reservoir area. The ribs slope downwardly into the flat reservoir area. The detachable and slideable food divider is used to isolate selected areas of the primary cooking unit and thereby restrict the mixing of foods and grilling liquids.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is based on U.S. provisional application (Ser.No. 60/373,305, Filed on Apr. 18, 2002 by Robert Grohs for his “ELECTRICGRILL AND GRIDDLE WITH REMOVABLE FOOD DIVIDER).”

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to cookware and in particular an electricgrill comprising a ribbed grilling surface adjoined with a flat cookingsurface, with an adjustable food divider that is used to separate foodfrom liquids when positioned on the flat cooking surface.

2. Description of the Background

There is a market for portable cooking devices, and a number of indoorgrills were manufactured to meet this demand. Indoor cooking grills arecharacterized by a heated cooking surface, which uses either electric orgas to cook. One design prevalent in the background art incorporates aclamshell type hinged lid comprising an upper and lower surface. In theclosed position, both surfaces cook the food. U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,562 toDeni et al. teaches one such device. The grill comprises a top andbottom cooking surface having a centrally hinge component for lifting orclosing the lid. The cooking surfaces comprise rounded ribs andchannels, which drain grease and other liquids from the food. Otherindoor grills incorporate features such as heating chambers for buns androlls. U.S. Pat. No. 6,016,641 to Tasi et al. shows an indoor grillhaving a top and bottom cooking surface in one chamber for cookingfoods. Both cooking chambers are accessible by opening a clamshell-likehinged lid.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,606,905 to Boehm, et al. discloses a hinged grillingapparatus comprising upper and lower cooking surfaces. A vapor chamberis formed when the lid is sealed closed over the food. Thebottom-cooking surface is inclined to remove grease or other liquids.

Unfortunately each of the above grills is hampered by the miniature sizeof the cooking surfaces. To maintain portability and conserve counterspace while in use and facilitate the opening and closing of the hingedlid, it has been necessary to sacrifice the dimensions of the cookingsurface on these grills. The result has been that indoor grills areunsuitable for preparing foods for more people or more types of foodusing one unit. When preparing foods on an indoor grill, the cook isforced to make smaller amounts of food at a time which increase theoverall cooking time, and may require the host to serve food in waves,rather than serving everyone at once. Most of the time, when preparingfood the cook may be grilling meat by it self on one surface and not twoor three types of different foods on the ribbed grill adjoined by a flatcooking surface.

A further difficulty with indoor grills is found in the limited types offood that can be grilled or cook on the same unit. Flat griddle-likesurfaces are useful for frying foods, such as eggs, potatoes orpancakes. By contrast, a ribbed surface is better for grilling foodslike meats. The ribbed surface more closely approximates an outdoorgrilling arrangement, and channels between the ribs carry away greaseand excess water which drain from meats while cooking. Lacking in theart is an indoor grill for cooking, which comprises both types of flatcooking and ribbed grilling surfaces in one electric grill.

It would therefore be advantageous to have an indoor cooking grill thatincorporates both ribbed grilling and flat pan or griddle surfaces in aconfiguration that is large enough to prepare large and small quantitiesof different types foods at the same time, on one unit, and iseconomical to manufacture and easily cleaned.

It would be further advantageous to have a way to separate food on thesesurfaces by using a food divider component that is movable and fitsflush with the flat cooking surface and outside walls of the unit. Itwould be an advantage to keep liquids from mixing with other foods liketomatoes, potatoes or corn with the fat or grease from hamburgers andother meats.

It would further be advantageous to have a grill with both a ribbed anda flat cooking surface one-unit, so that unwanted liquids from differentfoods are unable to mix, thereby preserving the individual flavor ofeach food. Finally it would be advantageous to incorporate a temperaturecontrol whereby the temperature of the cooking surfaces may be selectedfrom a range of settings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide aportable electric grill which enables the user to simultaneously grilland cook many different types of food on one cooking unit, that consistsof a ribbed grill adjoined by a flat cooking surface.

It is another objective of the present invention to provide a ribbedgrilling surface adjoined with a flat cooking surface or pan-likesurface and is one continuous surface.

It is still another objective of the present invention to provide onecooking surface enclosed by four shallow walls, adjoined with twohandles one on each end, to lift the electric grill unit up and off thebase platform for easy cleaning and to pour off liquids.

It is another objective of the present invention to provide onecontinuous surface that is both a ribbed grilling surface and a flatcooking surface in a parallelogram unit.

It is another objective of the present invention to provide a fooddivider, a separate element, that is positioned on the flat cookingsurface to yield two or more grilling and cooking compartments.

It is still anther objective of the present invention to place the fooddivider in many positions on the flat surface for cooking or detach itfor easy cleaning of the electric grill.

It is still another objective of the present invention to channelliquids, release during cooking, by using a plurality of slopingchannels molded into the ribbed surface, directly downwardly into areservoir area at the lower end of the ribbed surface.

It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide anelectric grill, one-unit for grilling and cooking.

It is still a further objective of the present invention to supply anintegral electric heat source to both the ribbed and flat surfaces.

It is a further objective of the present invention to regulate thecooking surfaces by means of an attachable thermostat which is also anon-off device.

It is still a further objective of the present invention to provide astable base or platform from which the electric grill can easily beremoved and not encumbered.

It is still a further objective of the present invention to provide astable base of heat resistant plastic which elevates the electric grillover a counter.

These and other objectives are accomplished by a portable electric grillcomprising three elements: a ribbed grilling surface adjoined by a flatcooking surface that is one primary cooking unit and comprises anintegral heat source; a food divider that separates food and liquids onthe flat surface that is adjustable and detachable or acts as a fixedcomponent; a stable base or platform to hold the electric grill inplace. The cooking unit comprises a ribbed and flat surface that isbound by four-shallow walls in a parallelogram unit. The cooking unitrests on top of a platform of heat resistant plastic. The base platformcomprises four legs, a horizontally disposed platform frame, and aretaining wall that circumscribes three sides of the frame. The cookingsurface houses as electric socket connector which mates with a unitcarrying temperature dial. The temperature control unit furthercomprises a length of electrical cord. The cooking surface uses a fooddivider to separate food and liquids, that's flush with the outsidewalls and bottom of the flat surface. Further, the food dividerseparates the ribbed and flat cooking surfaces into two or threecompartments and is also detachable.

Other objectives, features and advantages of the present invention willbecome more apparent from the following detailed description of thepreferred embodiments and certain modifications thereof

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the assembled electric grill presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the grill in a fully assembledconfiguration.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the electric grill with the food dividerremoved, not in use.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the grill with the food divider or crossbarpositioned on the grill.

FIG. 5 is a top view of the food divider moved out on the flat cookingsurface.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the food divider that fits down over thegrill's shallow walls.

FIG. 7 is a top view of the shallow walls with grooves to position thefood divider.

FIG. 8 is the temperature device, on-off control, used to regulate heat.

FIG. 9 is a breakaway view of the grill in the shape of a parallelogramunit.

FIG. 10 is the end view of the ribbed surface.

FIG. 11 is a side view of the ribbed channels sloping downwardly intothe reservoir.

FIG. 12 is a top view of the ribbed surface with reservoir end.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the base structure or platform.

FIG. 14 is the electric loop used to provide heat to the primary cookingunit.

FIG. 15 is an alternate ribbed grilling surface, perspective view.

FIG. 16 is an alternate shallow wall surface, no grooves, top view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In reference to the drawings and the assembled grill 2 of FIG. 1includes a primary cooking unit defined as a ribbed grilling surface 4adjoined by a flat cooking surface 10 and is one unit, with anadjustable and detachable food divider 12.

With reference to FIG. 2 the cooking surfaces 4 and 10 are enclosedwithin a shallow wall 6 with a movable food divider 12 and elevated by abase platform 8. A temperature-regulating device 18 attaches to one sideof the unit.

Again, with reference to FIG. 2 the shallow wall 6 adjoined with two tophandles 21, 22 and four or more shallow wall grooves 14 used to positionthe food divider 12. The lower end of the ribbed surface 4adjoins/adjunct to an open flat reservoir area 20 to accumulate liquidsand fats that occur while grilling and cooking.

Referring to FIG. 3 is a top view of the electric grill with the ribbedsurface 4 adjoined by a flat cooking surface 10, is one continuoussurface, with the food divider removed; not in use.

Referring to FIG. 4 is a top view of the grill with the food divider 12positioned next to the ribbed surface 4, with a temperature device 18;also shown in FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 5 is a top view of the grill with the food divider 12in one of many different position on the flat surface 10.

Referring to FIG. 6 is the front view of the food divider 12 having twoopenings 13 one on each end; so the food divider can fit down snugly onthe shallow walls and has a heat resistant plastic edge 11 along the topsection and two outside ends. The food divider 12 with openings 13 oneach end, allows the food divider to move or be placed in positioned.The food divider 12 or crossbar-like element allows for food and liquidsto be separated. The plastic heat resistant edge 11 is to avoid any heatsurface problems when cooking.

Referring to FIG. 7 is a top view of the shallow wall grooves 14 so thefood divider can be positioned down on the walls and flush with thecooking surface; also in FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 8 is the temperature device 18, and on-off control 25,used to regulate heat with an electrical plug 26.

Referring to FIG. 9 is a breakaway perspective of the grill with fooddivider 12 and retaining wall 6 with ribbed surface 4 and reservoir 20.

Referring to FIG. 10 is a front view of the ribbed surface 16; also as 4in FIG. 9.

Referring to FIG. 11 is a side view of the ribbed surface 4 where thechannels slope downwardly to an open reservoir 20. The sloping design ofribbed channels 4 allow for liquids to accumulate at the lower flat endin the reservoir area 20. This accumulation area or reservoir 20 allowsfor the easy pour off of water and fluids from the electric grill. Alsoagain referring to FIG. 2 the platform 8 is not attached to the grill,which promotes easy lift-off once the thermostat 18 is disconnected.

Referring to FIG. 12 is a top view of the ribbed grilling surface 4 thatchannels the liquid runoff down to the reservoir area 20.

Again referring to FIG. 2. The food divider 12 is a thin rectangularcrossbar-like component that is positioned on the flat surface 10. Thefood divider 12 fits down over the shallow walls 6 across the flatsurface 10 and is flush with both surfaces.

Referring again to FIG. 2 the primary unit is enclosed on four sides byshallow walls 6. The unit is preferably of a cast aluminum material andcomprises the shape of a parallelogram. The grill incorporates twohandles 21, 22 which extends from the top margin of opposite sides thatcomprise the width dimension of the unit. A conventional socket forplugging in the temperature regulating device 18 with an on-off controlis housed along one side of the unit.

Referring to FIG. 1 the cooking surfaces 4 and 10 (adjoined and is onecooking surface) is adapted for grilling and cooking. The ribbed elementof the cooking surface 4 comprises a plurality of evenly spaced parallelribs that slope downwardly and are raised on one side above the flatsurface 10. Channels lie between ribs to drain away liquids into areservoir area 20.

In reference to the assembled grill 2 in FIG. 2 as constructed and asdescribed above conveniently provides both grilling and cooking surfaceson the same apparatus. When the food divider 12 is in place, thisprovides two or more separate cooking compartments. The flat surface 10performs a similar function as a griddle but improved with shallow walls6 to push food up against and to turn food over. A griddle has noshallow wall to push food against for turning purposes and grease mayspill over the lip edge. The electric grill solves both of these cookingproblems.

Referring to FIG. 13 the base platform 58 defines the platform structurefor the grill. Legs 51 extend from each corner of the platform. Ahorizontally disposed platform 52 defines the bottom surface of thebase. The center 53 of the horizontal platform is open to allow heat toescape from the grill. A retaining wall 54 circumscribes three sides ofthe platform and comprises curved corners 55 on the closed end. Theopposite side remains open for easy access enabling the primary cookingunit to slide into or fits down on the platform 52 and inside theshallow retaining wall 54 or to be lifted off the platform without beingattached or encumbered. Also in FIGS. 2-8.

Referring to FIG. 14 is an integral-heating element 71 or electric loopthat is used to supply heat to the primary cooking unit 70.

Alternate Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments

Referring to alternate FIG. 15, ribbed grilling surface 64 may have alevel or horizontal top grilling surface, comprising ribs 65 lyingparallel to each other, said ribs are separated by channels 66 thatslope downwardly into an open reservoir 67.

With reference to alternate FIG. 16, the top view of shallow wall 6 maybe designed with one smooth wall surface; without grooves. Withreference to FIG. 2 this design enables the food divider 12 to be placeddown on the shallow wall 6, in any positioned required; not only ingrooves 14. With reference to FIG. 6., food divider 12 with open grooves13, must have tight tolerances to restrict unwanted liquids.

Having now fully set forth the preferred embodiments and certainmodifications of the concept underlying the present invention, variousother embodiments as well as variations and modifications of theembodiments herein shown and described will obviously occur to thoseskilled in the art upon becoming familiar with said underlying concept.It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention may be practicedotherwise than specifically set forth in the appending claims.

1. An electric grill comprising: a primary cooking unit including: aribbed grilling surface having individual ribs extending in a firstdirection; a planar cooking surface adjacent to said ribbed grillingsurface; and, a detachable food divider extending perpendicular to saidindividual ribs; wherein said food divider is movably positioned betweensaid ribbed grilling surface and said planar cooking surface so thatsaid ribbed grilling surface is selectively isolated from said planarcooking surface.
 2. The electric grill of claim 1 wherein said fooddivider is detachable so that when said food divider is removed, saidribbed grilling surface and said planar cooking surface form onecontinuous cooking surface.
 3. The electric grill of claim 1 whereinsaid primary cooking unit has a first distal end and a second distalend, said ribbed grilling surface being disposed at said first distalend and said planar cooking surface being disposed at said second distalend.
 4. The electric grill of claim 3 wherein said ribbed grillingsurface has an elevated end abutting said planar cooking surface and anon-elevated end adjacent to said first distal end.
 5. The electricgrill of claim 4 further comprising a grilling fluid reservoir abuttingsaid non-elevated end, said elevated end causing fluids associated withgrilling to flow laterally down channels between said individual ribsand collect in said reservoir.
 6. The electric grill of claim 5 whereinsaid ribbed grilling surface and said channels slants downwardly fromsaid ribbed grilling surface elevated end to said reservoir so that saidgrilling fluids are channeled to said reservoir.
 7. The electric grillof claim 5 further comprising a containment wall extending around aperimeter of said primary cooking unit, said containment wall abuttingsaid reservoir at said first distal end.
 8. The electric grill of claim5 wherein said reservoir is flat.
 9. The electric grill of claim 5wherein said individual ribs extend essentially horizontally and saidchannels between said individual ribs slant downwardly from said ribbedgrilling surface elevated end to said reservoir.
 10. The electric grillof claim 1 further comprising a heating assembly operably associatedwith said primary cooking unit, said heating assembly comprising: aheating coil for providing beat said primary cooking unit; and, arheostatic temperature regulating device for regulating heat provided bysaid heating coil.
 11. The electric grill of claim 10 wherein saidprimary cooking unit surface is heated to enable said primary cookingunit to cook a wide variety of foods.
 12. The electric grill of claim 11wherein said food divider extends from a first side of said primarycooking unit to a second side of said primary cooking unit, said fooddivider abutting a containment wall at said first and second sides. 13.The electric grill of claim 12 wherein said food divider has firstdistal end and a second distal end, said food divider having a slot ateach of said first and second distal ends so that said food divider slotengages said containment wall to form a secure fit.
 14. The electricgrill of claim 13 wherein said containment wall includes groovescorresponding to said food divider slots to further secure said fooddivider to said containment wall.
 15. The electric grill of claim 13wherein said containment walls are smooth so that said food dividerslides along said containment wall to isolate selected areas of saidprimary cooking unit.
 16. The electric grill of claim 10 wherein saidheating coil is molded into said primary cooking unit, said heating coilconcurrently heating said planar cooking surface to essentially an equaltemperature as said ribbed grilling surface.
 17. The electric grill ofclaim 1 wherein said food divider acts as a fixed wall component if leftin one position on said planar cooking surface.
 18. The electric grillof claim 1 wherein said primary cooking unit is comprised of metal, saidprimary cooking unit being configured in a parallelogram shape havingrounded corners to facilitate cleaning and the pouring off of liquidsfrom said corners.
 19. The electric grill of claim 18 wherein saidprimary cooking unit is comprised of cast aluminum.
 20. The electricgrill of claim 1 wherein said food divider is moveable and detachable sothat said food divider selectively divides said planar cooking surfaceinto at least two isolated cooking compartments.
 21. The electric grillof claim 1 wherein said primary cooking unit is disposed within a baseplatform said primary cooking unit having at least one handle thatenables said primary cooking unit to be lifted off of said baseplatform.
 22. The electric grill of claim 21 wherein said base platformcomprises: a partially open bottom side to allow dissipation of heatgenerated by said primary cooking unit; two parallel vertical retainingwalls extending from said bottom side; a curved retaining wall connectedto said two parallel retaining walls; and, an open end disposed oppositesaid curved retaining wall to facilitate movement of said primarycooking unit on and off of said base platform.
 23. An electric grillcomprising: a cast aluminum primary cooking unit having rounded cornersand configured in a parallelogram shape, said primary cooking unithaving a first side and an opposite second side, and a first distal endand an opposite second distal end, said primary cooking unit comprising:a containment wall disposed around a perimeter of said primary cookingunit; a ribbed grilling surface having individual ribs extending in afirst direction, said ribbed grilling surface having an elevated end anda non-elevated end, said non-elevated end being disposed adjacent tosaid first distal end of said primary cooking unit; a reservoir forcollecting grilling liquids from said ribbed grilling surface, saidreservoir having a first side abutting said non-elevated end and asecond side abutting said containment wall at said primary cooking unitfirst distal end; a planar cooking surface having a first end adjacentto said ribbed grilling surface elevated end, and a second end adjacentto said containment wall at said primary cooking unit second distal end;a detachable food divider extending perpendicular to said grillingsurface individual ribs, said food divider extending from said primarycooking unit first side to said primary cooking unit second side, saidfood divider selectively isolating said ribbed grilling surface fromsaid planar cooking surface; and, a heating assembly comprising abeating coil having a rheostatic temperature regulating device and aheating coil that is molded into said primary cooking unit; and, a basefor supporting said primary cooking unit, said base comprising a raisedplatform with an open bottom and two parallel vertically extendingretaining walls, said base further comprising a curved retaining wallconnected to said two parallel retaining walls, said base having an openend disposed opposite said curved retaining wall to facilitate movementof said primary cooking unit on and off of said base.